Select Local Merchants

Taking pool shots inside Bison Billiards can feel more like playing in a professional tournament than at a local pool hall. This is because players test their mettle on multiple professional-quality pool tables––including Diamond and Gabriels––covered in Simonis cloth and stocked with Aramith balls. The in-house pro shop equips players with a variety of cues, accessories, and cases from top-industry names such as Predator and Poison. About the only distraction from the billiards is the stocked bar, which houses more than 25 varieties of beer and a bank of dartboards that enables visitors to practice their aim before the tailless donkeys invade.

Combining a full bar and contemporary menu with the amenities of a modern pool hall, Six Pockets appeals to hungry stomachs and competitive appetites alike. Eschew the finery of flatware for a more digit-friendly approach by dining on an appetizing array of finger foods, such as the five-piece potato skins ($7.99). Or, fall fork-first into a caesar ($5.99), or buffalo-chicken-finger salad ($8.99). Team sandwich produces a plate-worthy starting lineup of burgers ($5.99+), wraps ($6.99+), and clubs ($5.99+), and eight draft beers await to take the edge off of roaring-hot buffalo wings ($9.99 for 10 wings), or hair-raising run-ins with the ghost of Minnesota Fats.

Situated on the Grand River in southwest Ontario, Kitchener is the cultural hub of the Waterloo Region. In 1800, German Mennonites journeyed from Pennsylvania to settle in this farming region, known as Berlin, between 1854 and 1916. In honor of its German roots, the city hosts an annual Oktoberfest celebration. It draws 700,000 visitors, making it the largest Bavarian festival in the world outside of Germany.
Five miles from the hotel, Doon Heritage Village simulates life in Berlin in 1914, and just around the corner, the Joseph Schneider Haus preserves artifacts from the Germanic settlement.
More than 30 miles (100 km) of walking and biking trails traverse the riverfront landscape around Kitchener, and playgrounds and toboggan hills line its 220 city parks. One of the most popular of these parks is Victoria Park, which was built in 1896 by the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted. It’s centered on a massive clock tower salvaged from old city hall as well as a cast bronze statue of Queen Victoria and a lifelike replica of her royal tinfoil crown.Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.

Originally Rick's Home Billiards, Big Boy Toyz continues the business's more than 40-year history by equipping fun seekers with toys, remote-controlled vehicles, and items for their game rooms. A bird-shaped pen-holder kit ($12.95) beckons customers to chat with a multicoloured parrot, whose built-in microphone records personalized messages perfect to play back for friends or judges in traffic-court hearings. Skilled hands can use a remote control to steer a green RC racing buggy ($21.95) around sharp turns or can launch a Wilson NCAA basketball ($19) on hoop-bound flights. Mix up clubs and spades with a wooden-style automatic card shuffler ($19.95), or throw sets of brass soft-tip darts ($20) to highlight important chart areas during office meetings.

Dedicated to unleashing the inner pool sharks in players of all ages, the staff at Danny Greens Billiards Bar outfits patrons with all of the equipment necessary to engage in family-friendly recreation. The sounds of orbs cracking together fills the air as groups of revellers assemble around the bar’s fleet of pool tables for hours of billiards. Mo Seto—a five-time Canadian snooker and nine-ball champion—imparts her cue-handling prowess during in-depth lessons on the essentials of billiards such as proper striking form and how to properly use blue chalk for a Smurf costume. The bar offers organic and vegetarian dishes alongside standard bar noshes including wings, nachos, and sweet-potato fries. To further bolster the entertaining atmosphere, Danny Greens’ hosts an ever-changing line-up of events throughout the week, from open-mic nights to stand-up comedy shows. The 4,000-square-foot space can also accommodate leagues, tournaments, parties, and events.

With its airy spaciousness and 48 lanes, it's easy to see why Planet Bowl was selected to be the official bowling venue of the 2015 Pan American Games?and why it's packed on a daily basis. Some visitors are casual bowlers who trade their time between the pins and the full-sized arcade. Others are birthday celebrants occupying the lanes, arcade, and party room. League members appreciate the pro-level facilities and onsite gear shop. No matter who's landing on Planet Bowl, the facility's clean, modern architecture, friendly atmosphere, and magical glass bowling shoes make the day special.
Equally comfortable and conducive to a good time is Planet Bowl's bar and restaurant. A far cry from the cramped snack bars of some old-fashioned alleys, Orbit Caf? is a cozy, contemporary restaurant. A black marble-topped bar accentuates a slate-and-steel colour palette, and bottles and drafts complement pizza, wings, and pasta.